China's Hybrid Carrier

Is Sichuan a new type of amphibious warfare platform for China or a drone carrier? 

China's new amphibious warfare ship is large and different:

The ability of the class to support large-scale UAV operations, alongside traditional amphibious assault ship roles, was a key capability, according to Kandlikar Venkatesh, defence analyst at GlobalData.

“With the reported electromagnetically powered catapult to support an air wing, the 076 could handle heavier UCAVs such as those used for ISR, strike support, and electronic warfare,” Venkatesh stated. ...

“Type 076 also complicates Taiwan’s defensive plan. It gives China a way to keep ISR and targeting coverage over the strait and around potential landing zones even if access to carriers or mainland aviation is disrupted,” Venkatesh said.

This vessel is too large to be a real CVE that disperses naval aviation with drones. It seems more like the America class that is a large amphibious warfare ship with a backup light carrier role.

I have to wonder if the Sichuan tries to do too much.

And I must comment on this claim, "An amphibious assault is the only way that China could successfully seize the island by force." The only way? It is a major way to deposit grains of sand on Taiwan to build a beachhead. But that is not the only way. 

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here. 

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!  

NOTE: Image of Sichuan from the article.

Dig In and Hold On at the Front

Small European NATO states are too small to build combined arms military capabilities. Should they specialize in holding their ground? 

Should eastern European countries facing Russia focus on positional defense of their homeland, waiting for the cavalry from the rest of NATO? 

Small frontline countries should become a first layer of defense, focusing their entire defense ecosystem on positional defense. These countries should completely dismantle their current military formations and recreate them with a sole focus on positional defense. Their spending of 5 percent of GDP should focus on infrastructural preparation and fortification of the potential battlefield, both in a physical and virtual sense, including the construction of obstacles, strongpoints, and modern defensive positions. Further investment should be made in camouflage and deception capabilities, deployment of land-, air-, and space-based sensors, early warning systems, antiarmor capabilities, long-range artillery, land, air, and sea drones, and other capabilities that support the effective execution of positional defense. Military formations should be redesigned, and purpose-built for positional defense. 

I'd add in the ability to leave stay-behind forces as an invader advances. But armored vehicles have a role in local counter-attacks and as a reserve for bolstering defenses, no? So I'm not sure how specialized a positional role should be. And who does ground-based air defense?

The suggestion is intriguing. But it only really applies to the small Baltic States right now rather than all small NATO states. 

I had a suggestion for incorporating non-border small armies into U.S.-led combined arms brigades in Army magazine.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here. 

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!  

NOTE: Photo of American infantry under fire in World War II.

Aiming High For a Future Space Force Vessel

Just how high above the clouds could the X-65 design "fly"? 

Hmm:

An experimental DARPA plane that would steer using bursts of air is expected to have its first flight in late 2027, more than two years later than originally planned, after the program was paused and restructured.

The unmanned X-65, being built by Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program, is designed to test a concept called “active flow control” to steer an aircraft.

Could that concept be adapted for space flight in the Earth-Moon system? Is the X-37 providing experience in getting to that capability?

And it sure would help to escort Santa on his global mission through potentially hostile skies. 

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here. 

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!  

NOTE: Illustration from the article. 

Germany Notices It Has an Enemy

Even guilt-ridden and pacifistic Germany committed to the Euro-Disney view of Europe as a post-conflict sanctuary where peace is achieved with 10,000 cheese regulations has decided it needs a real military.

Sh*t got real: 

This year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to build Europe’s strongest army – a tall order for a country whose military has undergone years of neglect.

The coalition government is hoping a new bill agreed upon last week will help make this a reality, bolstering Germany’s forces in the face of the perceived threat from Russia and a significant shift in US foreign policy.

The sweeping new reforms will see Germany attempt to boost its numbers to 260,000 soldiers, up from around 180,000 currently, in addition to an extra 200,000 reservists, by 2035.

For Germany, defending itself has been a wild ride. And it isn't over.

Bravo, Putin. Truly impressive. 

Strategery. #WhyRussiaCan'tHaveNiceThings

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here. 

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!  

NOTE: Photo from the article.

The Winter War of 2022 Needs a Buffer Zone

If a ceasefire in the Winter War of 2022 is accomplished, Ukraine needs a buffer zone large enough to prevent Russia from using "take and talk" tactics to nibble away at Ukrainian territory. The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe could be a template to protect Ukraine and provide a fig leaf for Russia about NATO "retreat" that conceals a Russian pivot east.

The war goes on. Ukraine inflicts disproportionate casualties on the Russians who persist in slowly advancing. Russia hopes to freeze Ukrainians with aerial bombardment and Ukraine seeks to throttle Russia's offensive with their own aerial offensive. The shiny object in the deadly grind was Ukraine attacking a Russian Kilo submarine in a Russian Black Sea port, apparently with a suicide UUV. It is unclear how much the sub was damaged.

America participated in talks with contributions to terms of post-war security guarantees for Ukraine: 

According to Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials, the discussions in Berlin focused on a package of five documents that would underpin an eventual peace deal, several of which are dedicated to long‑term security guarantees for Ukraine.

Russia won't accept that. And even if they are really desperate enough to pretend to accept that, we cannot become confused by that outcome. It is not enough to end the war. Russia has to be pointed away from Ukraine and NATO.

Getting a ceasefire without setting Ukraine up for the killing blow as Russia reloads and resumes the war from advanced positions inside its Ukrainian conquests is the problem. We should insist on a new Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

That treaty limited troops and weapons in Europe to eliminate the chance of a "bolt from the blue" offensive. Having enough troops to go to war would require detectable large-scale ground force movement. The original agreement limited armaments within a geographic region:

The CFE Treaty set equal ceilings for each bloc (NATO and the Warsaw Treaty Organization), from the Atlantic to the Urals, on key armaments essential for conducting surprise attacks and initiating large-scale offensive operations. 

In addition:

To further limit the readiness of armed forces, the treaty set equal ceilings on equipment that could be deployed with active units. Other ground equipment had to be place in designated permanent storage sites. 

And:

The treaty further limited the proportion of armaments that could be held by any one country in Europe to about one-third of the total for all countries in Europe – the "sufficiency" rule.

All sea-based Naval forces were excluded from CFE Treaty accountability.

Further sub-limits addressed sensitive regions:

In addition to limits on the number of armaments in each category on each side, the treaty included regional limits intended to prevent destabilizing force concentrations of ground equipment. 

I think the new geographic scope for active duty ground troops should be from the new, NATO state territory bordering or near Russia and Ukraine to Russia's Ural Mountains. This has advantages for NATO states, Ukraine, and Russia:

• Nobody in "old" NATO wants to deploy many troops east. This means they don't have to. 
• Putin could claim this troop limitation amounts to "rolling back" NATO to protect Russia. 
• Regional limits could offer reassurance for Russia in Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, Transnistria, and Crimea; Ukraine could get reassurances in specific regions to protect Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odessa, for example; and European NATO could have reassurances about limits on Russia's military presence in Belarus, for example.
• Russian security and puppet forces in occupied Ukraine would be limited to non-combat ground forces. 
• NATO would have limited "outside" forces in the east; but could instead focus on the logistics infrastructure to move and host reinforcements from old NATO countries in a crisis--which Russia already has on their side of the line.
• America gets justification for maintaining a limited role in NATO in order to achieve American objectives in Europe. 
• By pushing Russia's forces east, it implicitly allows Russia to pivot east to face China without explicitly naming China as the real threat. Surely Russia wants its deepening humiliation in the east to end.
• And with more Russian troops weighted to the east, Russia gains the ability to attract allies to counter China.

And really, this deployment would broadly reflect what happened in 2021 as Russia prepared to invade in 2022. Russia needed time to scrape up troops from all of Russia to invade. Yes, it should be more difficult for Russia under this type of agreement. But that is its purpose. And again, it could be spun by Moscow as validating their conquests, rolling back NATO, and preventing NATO from being a threat to Russia. Plus a justification for moving troops closer to China, where they are needed.

I'm not sure how this would affect a European monitoring force in Ukraine. But it probably means that to the relief of Europeans it will be smaller and lighter, especially on the ground. A provision to allow NATO to send more forces east to match any Russian troops sent west (or vice versa, I suppose) should be part of the deal. 

If Russia lies about NATO moves to justify moving troops west, NATO would know if Russia is lying and could--if it chooses not to ignore the deployments--declare Russia is violating the agreement and take steps to beef up NATO forces in the east and reinforce the Ukrainians.

Yet Russia may be relieved to have an excuse to treat European Russia as a safe rear area in order to focus on blunting Chinese influence in Central Asia and getting a firmer grip on its Far East territories taken from China in the 19th century that China no doubt covets. 

Over time, Russia may get used to friendlier relations with the West. But if not, it will take time for Russia to pose a threat to Ukraine and NATO. As long as the West has the will to act on Russian violations. But that has long been a problem.

UPDATE (Tuesday): The European Union provided Ukraine with a financial buffer (tip to Instapundit):

The loans are likely to provide enough support for the Ukrainians to continue their fight for another year or more. And perhaps just as significant, they represent a rare example of European states acting in their own interests without any outsourcing to Washington. 

The loan is zero-interest and backed by frozen Russian assets or Russian reparations for invading Ukraine. It will be interesting to see if Ukraine uses some of that loan to buy American weapons.

UPDATE (Wednesday): Ukraine is going to need a bigger boat buffer:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to pull troops out of the eastern region of Donetsk and create a demilitarized free economic zone as part of a potential peace deal, provided Russia took similar steps to withdraw from areas it controls. 

NOTE: ISW updates continue here. Also, I put war-related links and commentary in the Weekend Data Dump.

NOTE: You may also read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved.  

NOTE: I made the map with mapchart.net. Although the map extends Russia in Europe beyond the Ural mountain eastern boundary of a buffer zone, as near as I can tell.

Weekend Data Dump

I post at The Dignified Rant: Evolved on Substack. Help me out by subscribing and by liking and sharing posts. I also post here on TDR seven days a week, including Weekend Data Dump and Winter War of 2022. I occasionally post short data dump-type items on my Substack "Notes" section. 

In case you missed it on Substack: The 2025 National Security Strategy Part.1: The foundation of interacting with the world to secure America

In case you missed it on Substack: The 2025 National Security Strategy Part 2: The Western Hemisphere

In case you missed it on Substack: The Medium Brigade Has Huge ... Tracts of Adjectives

In case you missed it on Substack: The 2025 National Security Strategy Part 3: Asia

Required reading on the Pentagon. I won't say it ratifies my thinking. I know far too little to say that. But it ratifies my refusal to believe hysterics by those who claim to know what is going on. But yeah: "Chaos can not be solved simply." It can only be deceptively described simply. So carry on. Tip to Instapundit.

My annual PSA for harried managers trying to plan a Christmas Party without calling it a Christmas Party. BEHOLD: The C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. acronym. Eat your heart out Pentagon. And you're welcome. Also, let your little ones track Santa's mission with NORAD's help!

War on Terror very interested in us: "President Donald Trump said Saturday that “there will be very serious retaliation” after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an attack in Syria that the United States blames on the Islamic State group." 

Estonia has begun installing concrete bunkers on its border with Russia as part of a regional defensive belt.

Neither China nor Russia seem interested in protecting Maduro's Venezuela.

Missed this: "The Guard traces its lineage to a Dec. 13, 1636, order from the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s General Court establishing three permanent militia regiments, the descendants of which are still active today in the Massachusetts Army National Guard and are the oldest components of the U.S. military."

The Army National Guard on Saturday celebrates its 389th birthday amid months of hotly debated deployments to U.S. cities, recruiting success and a recent tragedy in the nation’s capital.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2025-12-13/national-guard-birthday-2025-history-scrutiny-20070552.html?utm_campaign=dfn-ebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sailthru
Source - Stars and Stripes

The Army National Guard on Saturday celebrates its 389th birthday amid months of hotly debated deployments to U.S. cities, recruiting success and a recent tragedy in the nation’s capital.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2025-12-13/national-guard-birthday-2025-history-scrutiny-20070552.html?utm_campaign=dfn-ebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sailthru
Source - Stars and Stripes

Navy exploited a late game interception to take the lead and defeat Army. Tough ending to watch. Congratulations, Navy. 

Welp, it's no longer "true Communism": "The Cuban economy is in freefall along with infrastructure and living standards. Most Cubans try to survive on a monthly salary of about $15. Nearly 90 percent of families live in extreme poverty." 

In case the Russian fleet wants to sortie toward the G-I-UK Gap: "In September the USAF successfully operated with Norwegian forces in the Norwegian Sea to test the Quicksink maritime weapon system in a realistic combat situation." Or to the Arctic. Quicksink is a Dollar Store air-launched "torpedo". 

North Korea is exploiting Russia's need for war support to modernize its conventional military. Well, a strategy of Kooks, Spooks, and Nukes was risky. 

Huh: "A U.S. special operations team boarded a ship in the Indian Ocean last month and seized military-related articles headed to Iran from China, U.S. officials said[.]" 

The Free World is at "peak disunity"? I'm old enough to remember that France pulled out of NATO's military command, Ostpolitik, Euro-Communism, Vietnam War divisions, and the anti-Theater Nuclear Weapons movement in Europe. We have some current time-centric thinking here, I believe.

Problems in Commie paradise?

When near, appear far: China's plan to quarantine Taiwan and avoid a shooting war. 

Russia's subliminal war on Europe.  

Do young Europeans want a United States of Europe? I'm skeptical this is a thing offline. Even if they do, that's not what they'll get. 

Pressure or preparation? "The government of Trinidad and Tobago said Monday that it would allow the U.S. military access to its airports in coming weeks[.]" And for what, if the latter? The government did say its territory "would not be used as a launchpad to attack any other country."

Hanging together: "South Korea and Australia are offering to relieve Washington’s strained defense supplier network, as U.S. defense planners grapple with bottlenecks in munitions production." 

The British invisible shield that maximized their air defense shield in the Battle of Britain. This is what I mean by taking air defense seriously again.

Subliminal war: "Manila rushed two patrol boats to protect fishermen in the South China Sea after a water cannon attack from Chinese cutters that left three injured in one of the most severe incidents at Sabina Shoal this year." 

Russia fakes propaganda videos of Ukrainians surrendering. Is this just part of the mix or does it reflect Russian fears of their own troops? Their firehose of falsehood is always active.

Australia after Islamist anti-Jewish murder spree: Ready. Fire! Aim?

Insurrectionists: "Federal law enforcement officials said Monday that four members of a far-left anti-government group have been arrested and face charges for allegedly planning a series of bomb attacks across Southern California on New Year's Eve." 

Blowback inside Russia: "After nearly four years of fighting in Ukraine, more Russian soldiers are reaching the end of their term of service and returning to Russia. Many of them are bringing their weapons home with them." Former criminal veterans use them. And others are sold to criminals who use them.

I'm old enough to remember when Nimitz was brand spanking new. 

American arms left behind sustain the Taliban regime and support terrorists in Pakistan and other neighboring countries. Blowback on Pakistan is a bitch.

Translating Winter War of 2022 drone warfare lessons directly to the western Pacific isn't possible. 

The narrative is false: "One of these [false narratives] which has taken hold among many since the humiliating end to the war in Afghanistan, is that the American military doesn’t win wars, or that it hasn’t since the end of World War II." Preaching to the TDR choir, he is. And then go to the Definitions Section.

Marine Force Design: "beneath the surface of innovative ideas, stand-in forces, distributed operations, and advanced platforms, there is a constant and often overlooked weakness: logistics." Preaching to the TDR choir.

America is an ally under suspicion ... by Europeans? Face it, when it comes to Europeans, America can't get its power and influence just right.

So America should leave eastern Syria? "The regional balance of power is now driven by Turkey, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, whose competing ambitions collectively prevent any single hegemon from dominating the Levant." That's a hope and not a strategy. Let's not repeat Obama's errors about Iraq.

Do past Russian wars of conquest that over-stretched Russia's military and domestic situation offer insights into the Winter War of 2022?

Lafayette, we are up here!

Can American and allied forces prevent it from ranging over the western Pacific? China unveiled the CH-47 unmanned " long-range reconnaissance and target identification" stealth aircraft. That makes it harder to break their kill chain.

I have hope that America can assimilate second and third generations, but Europe can't: "Sharia has caused many problems when Moslem people, generally Arabs or Afghans, migrate to Western countries. Islam insists that sharia supersedes any local laws." But America must promote assimilation.

Icebreakers. Apparently the Arctic Sea isn't going to be ice-free year round any time soon. 

I noted the break in the headlong rush to Marine Force Design by 2030. Will the Marines reverse course and use the aircraft they already have to contribute to the anti-ship mission? And don't forget the NECC.

Building Navy warships has problems that "stem from a series of interwoven, systemic issues within both the U.S. government and industry, as well as broader socioeconomic trends." Start with the Navy's inability to design and manage the building of a ship class.

Ukraine fears that a third round of losing territory to Russia could be a repeat of the serial partitions of Poland that eliminated it as a state for more than a century. 

When Air Force advocates celebrate the air power-as-silver-bullet purist Billy Mitchell, I worry. America needs a strong Air Force. But air power needs to support ground and sea power to be effective.

The U.S. designated Maduro's government as a foreign terrorist organization and has ordered all sanctioned tankers to stay away from Venezuela. 

Oh FFS, this is a monumentally stupid comparison. What? The authors didn't want to note that upright bipeds are confronting Maduro--just like they did with Saddam?

This is what a tyranny's relentless suppression of dissent looks like.

From the "Well, Duh" files: "Mossad Director David Barnea said on Tuesday that Iran 'has not abandoned its aspiration to destroy the State of Israel'[.]" Yet it needed to be said because too many Westerners would sign another bad nuclear deal.

If China can finally tap its oil shale resources to go from being the world's largest importer to being self-sufficient, that's significant. One, China needs Russia even less. Two, it's harder to blockade China to harm warmaking capacity. And three, would it turn traditionally land-focused China inland, away from the sea?

It's a target-rich environment: "The U.S. State Department said Clan del Golfo, which is based in Colombia, has been listed both as a foreign and a global terrorist group[.]"

South Korean contractors leaked details of Taiwan's new subs being built.

Russia disapproves: "Kazakhstan is moving ahead with a $1 billion plan to build NATO-standard artillery ammunition factories to reduce its reliance on Russian models[.]" But it's a prudent move for Kazakhstan.

Huh: "Congress wants to know why the Space Force needs a special operations component command, and wants answers before any taxpayer money is spent on creating it." The "why" is simple. Space troops will be few and well-trained. Money will be needed for SMOD!

CRS report to Congress on the defense industrial base.

Norway will help Ukraine restock its depleted S-300 air defense magazine. How is unclear.

Norway should absolutely look to the defense of their Arctic island territories. 

Iran's military aid to Venezuela "includes fast-attack boats, anti-ship missiles, drones, and even a Hezbollah presence."  How much of the hardware passes through Maduro to the Hezbollah New World empire?

Indeed: "It’s almost cliché but nonetheless true: The U.S. military’s AI-enabled platforms are only as good as their inputs." Yeah, the speed of FUBAR could be simply awesome. 

The United States continues to mow the jihadi grass in Somalia. It's a de facto Lexington Rule case, eh? Will the pirates now get the drug smuggler treatment? Fingers crossed.

Venezuela is in the crosshairs. Sometimes the clues really are in plain sight, I guess. 

Golden Dome is eventually intended to protect far-flung American territory such as Guam. Which means it will encompass a lot of allies and friends. If completed. 

Patriot gets a 360° firing capability: "The US Army is addressing one of Patriot’s most persistent shortcomings: its ability to engage threats outside a narrow forward arc." 

Yes, Venezuela's military is poor yet would be tough to pacify. But I can't imagine America plans occupation or even sustained air/missile strikes. Related thoughts on American ground combat capabilities.

Are Turkey and the Syrian government it installed going to go after the Kurds in northern Syria?  

Sure, the North Korea-Russia alliance could fade as their wartime romance fades. China exerts a tremendous pull on North Korea and Russia. But for Russia and North Korea, there could be safety in numbers. 

Resolve Theater: Venezuela has ordered its navy to escort oil tankers. But not sanctioned tankers so far. 

What will China do when America ignores the order? "China told the United States on Thursday to "immediately stop" arming Taiwan after Washington had approved the sale of $11 billion of weapons to the island." Despite hysteria, American policy is clearly not stepping aside to let China capture Taiwan.

Germany votes to rearm. 

Will escalating American pressure on Venezuela inspire a coup against Maduro? And if so, will Venezuela have hope for getting better? Success would weaken Hezbollah and Iran in Latin America; and weaken Cuba.

The war on drugs continues to be kinetic in the eastern Pacific.

Good, but I doubt if the Russian fleet will make it far enough west for the Danes to use their new shore-based anti-ship missiles. 

Details on the large American arms package for Taiwan that got China's panties in a twist. 

Canada's military is preparing to operate F-35s, although the government may not purchase the needed fighter over a snit with America over trade.

China built a prototype for a new hybrid-electric 2-man main battle tank. 

Ukraine has a new surface drone: "Ukrainian naval drones have revolutionized naval warfare that takes place within a few hundred kilometers of a coastline." At that range, a country with a more complete military have missile options for that sort of thing?

A Navy LCS launched a low-cost LUCAS suicide drone (that looks like Iranian Shaded drones) from its flight deck. This is good for platform flexibility and cheapness, but a single launch doesn't add mass.

The National Security Strategy barely mentions jihadi terrorism. First, thanks for spoiling the rest of the document as I read and comment. We have bigger problems in the big picture. We still mow jihadi grass in Somalia. Wait for the national military strategy. Also, Trump downgraded Africa? That ship sailed.

Advocating a theater Joint Task Force in INDOPACOM for warfighting responsibilities. If China manages a bolt from the blue, we'll want that already in place.

America has a tradition that started in the Revolution of eventually creating a lethal military despite initial unpreparedness. Since the Korean War we've been much better prepared initially. Could America match the historical record of innovation in this era? Would it be soon enough to matter?

Should the United States bypass Britain to secure our base rights at Diego Garcia? I'm not eager to undermine Britain. But the idea is intriguing and I'd like to sign up for the newsletter. 

China is not on the brink of matching American submarine warfare capabilities. That's reassuring. Because the alternative is disturbing. 

Why Central Asia matters to America again. Perhaps. But I'm not eager to plunge in.

I certainly hope that police and security forces are ready if something on the terror front is brewing in the West . Tip to Instapundit. 

Should Russia be resisted or accommodated? The author seems to think as I do that Russia needs to be resisted to force Moscow to accommodates us.

If Putin is confident about Russia, he doesn't know the truth. And if Putin knows, his costly war on Ukraine is bizarre. As a famous man once said, continuing this war is worse than wrong. It is a mistake. 

Lie back and think of international maritime law? 

It would be nice if we who are the enemies of the mullahs are doing more than hoping: "In the wake of the Israel–Iran war in June, all the signs point to a regime in Tehran that is nearing collapse." 

While Britain needs a stronger military, including its navy, I think this analysis over-states Russia's naval capabilities. Sustaining in combat what Britain has is surely a short-term priority over numbers.

Ukraine hit one of Putin's shadow tankers off the coast of Libya. 

The Houthi are apparently preparing a ground offensive in Yemen.

Hello, Turkey: "Senior officials from Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are discussing the possibility of establishing a rapid-response force composed of units from the armed forces of the three countries[.]" Reaction to Turkey's ambition is growing.

Thailand and Cambodia aren't at war--but they sure aren't at peace. 

The United States hit ISIL hard in Syria in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on an outreach mission in central Syria: "Roughly 70 targets were hit in the operation, the two US officials said." Perhaps regular grass mowing is needed there.

Huh: "Last month the Russian Defense Ministry discovered that they did not have enough cash to pay all the soldiers or provide money to induce civilians to join the army." Russia is attempting to pay for guns and butter.

Is India about to end their persistent Maoist insurgency problem? Or at least turn it into a nuisance problem? 

Configure with care: "The U.S. Navy has confirmed its decision to acquire a new FF(X) frigate with a design based on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Legend class National Security Cutter, though there are immediate questions about its expected configuration." 

Are Japan and South Korea going to heal their relations (based on a brutal Japanese colonial rule of Korea) to focus on the China threat to both? That's long been an American goal.

The U.S. Coast Guard seized another sanctioned Venezuelan tanker. Keep in mind that Venezuela is only escorting its unsanctioned tankers--and not all the way to their customer, of course. 

The U.S. and its allies are leaning forward: "The U.S. Navy has become more active in helping the Philippines block China from taking areas of the South China Sea that are legally Filipino. They patrol a bit more and cast mean looks towards China."

Haircut wars.

Yes, this is an American advantage: "Done well, immigration expands the talent networks that drive startups, AI, biotech, advanced manufacturing, and military capacity—preserving strategic depth for a decades-long rivalry." But note the qualifier: "Done well ..." 

From the "Well, Duh" files: "U.S. intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his aims of capturing all of Ukraine and reclaiming parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire[.]" I maintain Trump's charm offensive is ultimately trying to "flip" Russia. 

Paris has a "New Year's" problem. France's solution is to cancel the celebration. The Battle of Tours 2.0 is lost. Belgrade and Tokyo have joined Paris. My pucker factor is up for New York City.

To the Shores of Taiwan

The Marines edge closer to Taiwan. Close enough to shield Army-Marine movements to defend Taiwan.

Well that's interesting:

Over the past two months, the U.S. Marine Corps have been shuttling equipment to and from Kubura Port on Yonaguni Island, one of Japan’s farthest outlying islands just 70 miles from Taiwan. The back-and-forth shipments of medical supplies and disaster response equipment comes at an increasing pace as the Corps aims to make Yonaguni Island a focal point in its First Island Chain strategy.

This outpost will allow the Marines to shield the threat from the north to movement from the Philippines to Taiwan by joint Army-Marine forces that would be possible with Marine and Army 101st Airborne division capabilities:

It sure looks like there will be a joint Army-Marine expeditionary force sent to Taiwan if China invades. Sometimes separate things that don’t make sense can become reasonable when pieced together.

I still think the Marines are getting their Navy-support capabilities the wrong way and at a high price. But it is what it is in the near term.

And of course, the PLA ground forces that run the gauntlet and dig in on Taiwan must be destroyed--not simply stopped--with Taiwanese and allied forces. 

I sure hope the Air Force and Navy can keep the sea lines of communication open. 

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!  

NOTE: Map showing the island the Marines are building up from the article.

A Left-Handed Compliment to the Pentagon

Is America's military a force that hasn't won a war since 1991? I will quibble. Although this is an improvement on the usual claim that America hasn't won a war since 1945. Nonetheless, I cheer on the changes imposed on our senior leadership notwithstanding my quibbles. 

What about this charge against the Pentagon? 

It is a military that has not won a war since 1991 in the Persian Gulf, and that was spread thin fighting endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and waging the Global War on Terror. 

Usually the claim is about all post-World War II American conflicts. I can't even count all the articles I've read in recent decades that our last victory was World War II. So ... progress! 

It is also necessary to consider the point spread our military uniquely operates under in non-great power wars. And don't forget the big picture context!

But our good record is despite our senior leadership that has built speed bumps in the path of America's military this century. Voting can deal with the civilians. Purges are needed for the flag and general officers who were deliberately selected by past civilian leadership who created our distractions. 

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!  

NOTE: I made the image with Bing.